One of the self-chosen tasks of the Zurich based collective Level Ltd. is
the reflection of the scope of a concept present in old and new media
alike: the concept of "journalistic activity". In their project oriented
work which involves temporary cooperations with people from many different
backgrounds, Level Ltd over the last years has produced radio-pieces as
well as printed texts, performances, music etc. One of their projects -
founded three years ago under the title "Hoernetz" (listening net)-
explores the recent changes in radio-drama and radio-art. In 2000
"Hoernetz" manifested itself not only in a public event in Zurich, but also
took up the distribution of independent radio-art productions and featured
a competition for such productions. The main award "The Golden Listening
Net" and 2000.- swiss francs went to "Schrei nicht Fliege" by Birgit and
Bernd Kempker, a brother and sister living in Basel and Berlin
respectively.

In this edition, Kunstradio presents excerpts from five of the entries to
the "Golden Listening Net"-competition.

The piece was created in an intensive workshop-like atmosphere with lots of
improvisations. The improvised texts were first simultaneously translated
into English and then back into German. The actors then were advised to
keep to certain moods and/or physical exercises while executing their texts.
Versions of the text were thrown back into the very intensive collaborative
process. The sound effects were also created live. The only pre-recorded
part added later was the music by Billy Walker.

"The source of my material, and at the same time my equipment
in the first phase of the production were two pocket-radios. The material
was then arrangd and edited on a computer and a sampler.

My aim was an exploration of the acoustical space between sender and
receiver by looking closely at this in-between world and by randomly
collecting phrases, noises, fragments of music, sounds of interference to
create a very personal representation of this space. Events from differing
times are woven into a new time segment, which should be understood as a
space rather than a sequence in time. What I was after was not a mere
representation but an interpretation of the found material." (Th.P.)

" In Paris I met the writer Christian Prigent, who usually lives at Le
Mans. I documented the listening experience of Paris, the site of our
encounter, with original recordings which together with a short reading by
Prigent in front of my microfone, became the source material for my
composition. Another element, "La Liste des Langues que je parle" refers
to a game played by Inuit women, who stand opposite eachother in two rows
rhythmically reciting lists of words while touching eachothers noses. The
loser is the one who starts laughing first... I used my own voice as a
complimentary space to Prigent's voice. My central intention was a sounding
of musical spaces and spaces of language. With vocal language touching just
at the borders of verbal expression, language is reflected, imitated and
variated."

"These six short pieces are dealing with acoustic memory, with the
sound-archives in our heads and bodies.... I montaged sketches, acoustical
poems from fragments of remembered melodies and movements (steps, jumps,
breathing). The language material consists out of interpretational commands
and the names of movements in music.. "

"Formal Radio" is the attempt to portray the (German) contemporary
radioscape. For 24 hours, the authors scavenged through German
radio-programs. They categorised their material according to types of
programs, condensed it by different methods and worked it into a 14 minute
collage: the listener should be capable to differentiate e.g. between news,
weather forecasts, traffic information, advertising, a radio-psychologist
etc without understanding a single word. "Formal Radio" is interested in
the form of communication rather than its content. The form separated from
its specific meanings. With this focus the listener should be able to
recognise general intentions behind information and entertainment while the
general wallpaper function of radio remains intact.....